Focus

I've been thinking a bit about goal-setting, mostly because it's not something I normally do and everyone's been talking about it. Now, the first thing you need to know is that I'm not really good at goal setting. It's not my thing. I'm definitely a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal.

I envy people who can set and stick to goals. I occasionally - when inspired by someone who actually does this and does it well - try to do it myself. I buy myself a new notebook and start writing down all the things I need to accomplish each week. I might manage to stick to it for a week, I think once I even managed two weeks. Not my thing, remember?

But I realized - because I have so many things that MUST happen each week - that I was going to have to at least take a stab at setting some deadlines and setting aside particular times for those things to happen. I'm not going to call this goal setting for obvious reasons.

And the much more important thing that I realized was that for me - goal setting, deadlines, any of this - is all about focus.

I'm going to be away at conferences and I have to finish a book and I have to spend time with my dad who's not well. I have to work at my part-time job. I have to spend at least some time with friends.

In order to do all of this and do it well, I've decided that the key thing to remember is to focus, to be in the moment. The days I've set aside to write - that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to worry that I'm not doing something else. The conferences? I'm going to enjoy that time and not worry about writing. The time I'm spending with friends and family? That's what I'm going to be doing then.

I've learned something crucial in this exercise - I've learned that all I need to do is focus. If I'm supposed to be having fun, that's what I'm going to be doing and not worrying about all the other things I have to do. If I'm supposed to be working, I'll be doing that. If I'm supposed to be going to the doctor with my dad, that's what I'll do.

It's especially important to me to enjoy my life. Many of you will have seen somewhere my favorite quote from my mom - Life wasn't meant to be easy, but it was meant to be fun. Those are my words to live by.

Focus is the way I'm going to do that.

Kate